Giants manager Bruce Bochy and pitching coach Dave Righetti have discussed using Madison Bumgarner on short rest if the Giants lose Game 3 of the World Series against the Royals, CSN Bay Area’s Andrew Baggarly reports. As of right now, Ryan Vogelsong remains slated to start Game 4 opposite Jason Vargas.

Bumgarner hasn’t pitched on short rest during the post-season. In fact, the only time he has pitched on short rest in the playoffs was back in 2010 against the Phillies in Game 6 of the NLCS, when he held the opposition scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings, trailing Jonathan Sanchez and Jeremy Affeldt who also pitched two innings apiece.

Over five starts spanning 38 2/3 innings thus far in the playoffs, Bumgarner has a 1.40 ERA and a 33/6 K/BB ratio.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher has reversed course and will continue to pay minor leaguers. Fisher tells Slusser, “I concluded I made a mistake.” He said he is also setting up an assistance fund for furloughed employees.

The A’s decided in late May to stop paying paying minor leaguers as of June 1, which was the earliest date on which any club could do so after an MLB-wide agreement to pay minor leaguers through May 31 expired. In the event, the A’s were the only team to stop paying the $400/week stipends to players before the end of June. Some teams, notable the Royals and Twins, promised to keep the payments up through August 31, which is when the minor league season would’ve ended. The Washington Nationals decided to lop off $100 of the stipends last week but, after a day’s worth of blowback from the media and fans, reversed course themselves.

An @sfchronicle exclusive: A's owner John Fisher reverses course, apologizes: team will pay minor-leaguers; "I concluded I made a mistake," he tells me. He's also setting up an assistance fund for furloughed employees: https://t.co/8HUBkFAaBx)